Capitol Hill Magnet/rondo, Saint Paul MN

Original Research by School Decision on Capitol Hill Magnet/rondo

Capitol Hill Magnet/Rondo is a public elementary and middle school in Saint Paul, serving first through eighth grade as part of the Saint Paul Public Schools district. It is a regular school located on Concordia Avenue in a residential area of the city. The school operates as a magnet, which means it offers a specialized program and draws students from across the district who apply for admission rather than being assigned solely by neighborhood boundaries. As a magnet, it is not a district-wide attendance school; families apply for a seat, and the school’s program and composition reflect that selection process.

The student body is diverse, with a White plurality and sizable shares of Black and Asian students, including a notable Hmong community present in Saint Paul. Hispanic students and students of two or more races make up the remainder. A significant share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which indicates a moderate level of economic need within the school community. The school is not a charter, and Title I status was not reported.

On state testing, the academic picture is mixed by grade and subject. In reading, proficiency across grades three through eight is generally solid, with most grade levels showing strong results, particularly in the middle grades where a large share of students meet state standards. Math results are more uneven. The earliest tested grade, third grade, shows very strong proficiency, but rates drop in subsequent years, with a noticeable dip in fifth and sixth grades before recovering somewhat in seventh and eighth. Science results, available for fifth and eighth grade, are markedly lower, especially in eighth grade, where only a modest share of students meet the proficiency bar. A parent may want to ask the school how they support science learning in the upper grades. Overall proficiency across tested subjects places the school in the top quartile among Ramsey County districts, a strong relative position.

Because the school only serves through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The district, Saint Paul Public Schools, has made recent changes that may affect families considering this school. The district opened a new environmental STEM magnet middle school in Woodbury, created a culturally focused East African Elementary Magnet, and renamed Ramsey Middle School to Hidden River Middle School. These shifts may change the options available for families looking at magnet pathways.

Saint Paul itself is a dense, diverse city and the state capital. Its economy is anchored by state government, county government, and a mix of cultural institutions and professional sports venues. The city’s population has been relatively stable. The housing market in the school’s immediate area reflects moderate home values and rents, typical of the city’s urban core. The area is served by Metro Transit, with bus and light rail connections to Minneapolis and other parts of the metro.

For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is that Capitol Hill Magnet/Rondo offers a strong reading program and a math program that starts strong but varies by grade. Science achievement is a softer spot that warrants conversation with the school. The magnet status means the school is a choice, not a neighborhood default, and its student composition is shaped by that application process. The school’s size is moderate for its grade band. The city setting provides access to cultural and civic amenities but also means urban public schools face the challenges and opportunities of a large, diverse district. A parent should weigh the school’s academic profile against their child’s specific needs and ask about supports in math and science before deciding.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 383%

School 83% · District 38% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 33% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 26% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 22% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 764%

School 64% · District 22% · ▲ 41 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 20% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 32% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 30% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 41% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 671%

School 71% · District 36% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 764%

School 64% · District 31% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 33% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 18% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 10% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolSaint Paul Public Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income37%Higher-income84%47 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income82%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income59%Higher-income82%24 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income91%40 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income77%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income80%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income68%Higher-income91%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income81%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income63%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income71%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income48%Higher-income76%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income71%41 pp gap